Grants and Contributions

The therapeutic justice program pilot project will provide traditional counselling and clinical therapy to individuals involved in the justice system as a result of mental health and addictions arising from different factors such as personal and historical trauma, family violence and abuse. The program addresses the needs for a more culturally relevant response to criminality, mental health and addictions issues, and to healing from multi-generational trauma.

The therapeutic justice program pilot project will provide traditional counselling and clinical therapy to individuals involved in the justice system as a result of mental health and addictions arising from different factors such as personal and historical trauma, family violence and abuse. The program addresses the needs for a more culturally relevant response to criminality, mental health and addictions issues, and to healing from multi-generational trauma.

Over the next three years, the Centre d'expertise Marie-Vincent seeks to expand their services and open a new Child Advocacy Centre, within a radius of 250km of Montreal, to support a larger number of young sexual abused victims in the criminal justice system, thereby minimizing system-induced trauma by providing a single, child-friendly setting for victims and their families seeking services.

"How to Better Engage Victims in a Restorative Process" is a project that will increase victims' engagement in restorative justice and enhance the services victims receive. The project will deliver training to mediators in Saskatchewan and will include how to engage and work with victims from diverse backgrounds. It will also support the engagement of victims in restorative justice processes, increase knowledge of victim needs and trauma.

The Recipient agrees to send three Community Justice Facilitators to attend the CIAJ's 43rd Annual Justice and Mental Health Conference in Ottawa Oct 17 - 19, 2018, to gain greater understanding in regards to unaddressed mental health issues that are recurrently seen in the court system. Furthermore, by attending this conference, RAMP facilitators will gain skills required to design more effective and beneficial case management plans that will empower clients with mental health issues to succeed and reduce their likelihood of reoffending.

The Recipient agrees to undertake the Cultural Documentary Video Project. The objective of this project is to respond to an ongoing demand from program participants who have expressed an interest in learning about Indigenous cultures. Through the production of a video, Onashowewin will provide a much needed resource that will be used to promote awareness of Indigenous history, family, community and culture. The video will be an excellent teaching tool for community justice workers and an ongoing and invaluable resource for both participants and program networks.

The Recipient agrees to provide community members with various training, namely: a 3-day community justice forum facilitator training, a peacemaking circle keeper training, a 2-day advanced restorative justice course and a 2-day workshop on Trauma & Healing. The training will increase awareness, knowledge and skills for community members that work with the Aboriginal Youth and Adults in the communities and justice system. It will support capacity-development within the Kamloops and surrounding areas and other Indigenous Justice Programs across the province.

The recipient provides services to address the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the criminal justice system through prevention, diversion and reintegration activities. The objective of the grant will be to improve the delivery of Justice committee activities and their day-to-day operations.

The Recipient agrees to undertake the Referral Protocols Development Project. The objective of this project is to address inconsistencies in the referral processes used by the RCMP detachments serving the Saskatoon Tribal Council First Nations. Through the development of a Referral Protocols Agreement, the process for receiving referrals will be standardized, resulting in a more fair and transparent referral process, and ultimately, an increase in referrals to the Program.

The organization will offer a one day training in French related to Family Law. The training will be held in Halifax in March, 2019 and will target stakeholders from the Atlantic Provinces. The training will be based on material developed by the Province of Nova Scotia and will include information in French about divorce, parenting arrangements and child/spousal support.